A Programme for Partnership

It’s our aim to provide our customers with the best possible railway, help external organisations fulfil their objectives, and influence public policy by encouraging more people to travel by train.

To help us do this, we have developed a partnership programme, based on research, engagement, dialogue and delivery. This involves listening to and understanding what you, our customers and stakeholders, want and taking steps to build customer loyalty and maintain progressive partnerships.

Specifically, we will do the following:

For Customers:

• Hold regular Focus Groups to get feedback on what works and what needs to improve
• Survey the effectiveness of our service delivery
• Analyse the results of independent six-monthly National Passenger Surveys and take corrective action where necessary
• Establish and publicise a programme of bi-monthly ‘Meet the Manager’ sessions at stations

For Organisational Stakeholders:

• Hold six-monthly route-wide road shows, in London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland, to get feedback on company plans and progress
• Meet with the Scottish Government, regional development agencies and principal local authorities along the East Coast Main Line at least once a year
• Publish a draft timetable on the website at least ten months before timetable change to allow sufficient time for consultation, and publish a final timetable at least 12 weeks before a new timetable takes effect.  We will also advise of forthcoming engineering work and any revised timetable
• Have a dedicated stakeholder communications team to respond to timetable and other inquiries
• Engage regularly with Passenger Focus, the statutory representative of passenger interests, including review meetings after each National Passenger Survey
• Contribute to regional and national public policy by responding to consultations and speaking at seminars, conferences and other events
• Publish a quarterly e-zine with company & industry news and the opportunity to comment
• Consult with planning authorities, Passenger Focus and other interested parties on major projects, including station development
• Conduct an annual stakeholder audit

For Communities:

• Run a schools-based community programme
• Provide travel and financial support to our adopted charity, Cancer Research UK
• Provide financial support to Community Rail Partnerships